Cheap Trick

The last of the so-called presidential debates (dualling press-conferences) are finally over. The public consensus is that Sen. Kerry won all three debates.

Just the  sort of thing that tends to annoy  right-wingers. They have the idea that somehow or another President Bush, despite his lack of rhetorical skills, and his shaky command of facts, is entitled to win presidential debates. Or anything else he chooses.  Just because he's their darling.  

They grudgingly admitted that Mr Bush flubbed the first debate big-time. They sort of thought that Mr Bush did better in the second debate. But they  really thought they won big-time in the last debate.

Since that didn’t happen, it was only natural for the right to start beating up on Mr Bush’s opponent. The unstated feeling among the more ideological of Mr Bush’s supporters is that Senator Kerry must have engaged in some kind of unfair practice which allowed him to win the last debate. Of course he did nothing  of the kind.

The debates were rigidly monitored and no one in the viewing audience thought anyone stepped out of line or used any kind of unfair practice.

Except of course, the Vice President’s wife, Lynne Cheney. Mrs Cheney gave a speech the  after the final debate in which she criticized Sen. Kerry for his reference to their daughter Mary Cheney.

The moderator asked whether or not he believed that   homosexuality is a choice rather than something a person is born with

In his response, Sen. Kerry said straight out that Mary Cheney is a lesbian.

No look at Mrs Cheney’s response:

"This is not a good man," she said in her speech.

"Of course, I am speaking as a mom, and a pretty indignant mom,"

"This is not a good man. What a cheap and tawdry political trick."

Cheap and tawdry political trick? Now what exactly, is Lynne Cheney talking about?

No one likes to be on the receiving end of cheap political tricks, especially Republicans.

But you have to ask, where’s the trickery, cheap or otherwise? What’s getting Lynne Cheney’s goat? What’s she got to complain about?  Didn't her husband mention his daughter's sexual orientation in the debate with John Edwards?

Maybe Lynne Cheney simply dislikes the letter “L” as in lesbian. Maybe she dislikes the word itself.  Especially when it comes from someone she considers an “L” as in liberal.

Anyway Mrs Cheney shouldn’t complain about references to lesbians.

Fact of the matter is, she wrote a novel in 1981 entitled Sisters, in which lesbianism is portrayed pretty graphically.  (According to people who’ve read it).

She's really  got nothing to complain about. 

The only trickery used in the last debate came from the  moderator, Bob Schieffer, of Face the Nation fame.

Mr Schieffer ought to realize that homosexuality is not really a matter of national concern and has nothing to do with the duties  American presidents normally carry out.

Presidential debates are limited in time and therefore limited as to the subject matter that can be discussed.  How a presidential candidate feels about homosexuality has nothing to do with any substantive issue of public policy, except perhaps the issue of gay marriage which is already being handled by the States.

Bob Schieffer just wanted to see one or both of the candidates  squirm a little and perhaps make some sort of statement that many would regard as controversial.  

No, Mrs Cheney, John Kerry isn't the  trickster; Bob Schieffer is.

Punditwalla--